Pet Advertiser Details

Buying Pets Online Advice

Important Checklist for adopting or buying a LurcherBefore making contact, or planning a visit for this Lurcher puppy or dog, please make sure you have considered all the points made on the below checklist. We advise that you DO NOT buy a puppy or dog from the advertiser unless you are happy that you can tick off every point on this list and are confident that the advertiser is genuine. If you have any concerns over an advertiser please report them to us.

Research firstThe fact that you’re considering adopting, or buying a new puppy or dog is an important decision and one that should not be taken lightly. Your new pet will solely rely on you in many ways, so it's important that you’re 100% committed before hand. You can do further reading about caring for dogs and their wellbeing in our pet advice section. You can also find out more information about the Lurcher dog breed by visiting the Lurcher Dog Breed Information.

Is the advertiser genuine?Confirm that the advertiser is genuine. You can do this by arranging a visit with the potential advertisers home, if they try to avoid you visiting, or make excuses, then you should be concerned. If the advertiser asks for money, or deposit to be paid online without you visiting the dog at their home, or they request to meet you somewhere or drop the dog off at yours, then please DO NOT agree. We advise that you should never send money online. If you’re concerned about an advertisers authenticity then please report them to us.

Mypetzilla conducts various checks on advertisers on this site, but are unable to confirm that all are genuine. So please make sure you visit the advertiser at their home and verify this yourself.

The advertiser should let you see the puppy with their mother and in some circumstances their father as well. If the puppy is shown without their mother, then this can indicate that they've

been breed by the advertiser and or possibly imported. If the advertiser makes excuses as to why you can't see the mother, we advise that you immediately walk away.

Check the puppy is over 8 weeks of ageBefore bringing your beloved puppy home, it's important that the puppy is over 8 weeks of age and has been properly weaned before they leave their mothers. Some sellers will keep the puppy longer than this and this is perfectly fine.

Health check of the puppy or dogIt is very important that you check the health of your puppy or dog before you decide to adopt or buy. Although this can be difficult, most sellers will agree that you can return the puppy or dog within 48 hours should they have any health issues. It's worth taking your puppy or dog to the vet for a health check as soon as you take them home. The seller should be willing for you to do this. If the puppy has already had a health check by the seller’s veterinary practice, then they should provide you with the legitimate paperwork to support this. It is also worth ringing the vet to confirm everything beforehand.

Check the puppy or dog is up-to-date with their vaccinationsAll puppies should receive 2 vaccinations, the first between 8-10 weeks of age and the 2nd vaccination 2 weeks later around the age of 10-12 weeks. Older dogs may also need booster vaccinations and this is normally recommended by the vet. It's important that you check with the seller what vaccinations the puppy or dog has had. It's worth noting that puppies should have had their first vaccination before they leave their mother. If the seller has not provided a vaccination plan, then it will be your responsibility to make sure you arrange both vaccinations 7 days before letting your puppy go outside.

Have the puppies had treatment for worms and fleas?Puppies should be wormed at the age of 2 weeks and again around 5 weeks old. Before the puppy leaves the seller, they should have had more worming treatment at 8 to 12 weeks of age.

Ask questions about the puppies motherIt's worth asking the seller how old the mother is, she should be at least 1.5 years old. How many litters she has had. How is the mother's temperament. All these questions are important for the future health of your dog and the seller should want to tell you everything about the puppies mother.

Are the puppies socialised?It's necessary that the puppies have interacted well with their puppy litter and have been raised in a home environment around other adults, children, and general household life. Puppies that don't receive this kind of training and development from a young age, may go on to develop behavioral problems later in their life and become difficult to train. They may likely develop temperament issues and will find it difficult to adjust to family life.

Is the puppy/dog registered with the Kennel Club?If the puppy or dog has been registered with the Kennel club, then you must check that you’ve been given the correct documentation before you take the puppy/dog home. It's worth considering to check the documentation and phoning the Kennel Club to verify the registration.

Check the puppy or dog is MicrochippedFrom the 6th April 2016, it is required by Law that all dogs over 8 weeks of age are micro chipped and that the seller's details are registered in their name and are kept up-to-date. The breeder is responsible for microchipping the puppies and must have all the correct information updated on the database before they are adopted or bought. You must make sure you receive the microchip documentation with the chip number and then arrange to change the microchip details into your name. You can find out more information about this by visiting our puppy and dog Microchipping article.

Considering the pet insurance costsInsuring your puppy or dog is one of the most important decisions you should make when bringing your beloved puppy home. Veterinary fees can become extremely expensive and it's important that you have the correct level of cover beforehand. We recommend that you research pet insurance providers and purchase the correct level of cover. Most polices will allow you to start the cover the day your puppy or dog arrives to their new home. Please check our pet insurance section for further information.

For further information please make sure to visit our Pet Advice section. However here are a few helpful dog related articles which we recommend you read before making a decision to adopt or buy a puppy: